'Serious violations' of migrants' rights in Europe says CoE

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 19 - Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic said on Monday she was struck by the alarming level of tolerance in Europe towards rights' violations against migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
    "I am struck by the alarming level of tolerance towards serious violations of the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants that has developed across Europe," said Mijatovic in a statement on the eve of World Refugee Day on June 20.
    "Reports of violations of the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants are now so frequent that they hardly register in the public consciousness," she added.
    "For their part, the governments of Council of Europe member states, instead of holding each other accountable on the basis of shared standards, have too often tolerated or openly supported the adoption of laws and policies that have progressively removed human rights protections from people on the move," continued Mijatovic, adding that "their collective focus on deterrence and the transfer of responsibility to third countries has created fertile ground for practices that routinely violate the rights of refugees and migrants".
    The Council of Europe Commissioner is on mission to Italy and on Monday she was on the tiny Sicilian island of Lampedusa, which acts as a stepping stone for many migrants and refugees seeking safety and a better life in Europe. (ANSA).